


The Turning Point

by Lieh



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 04:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20615132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieh/pseuds/Lieh
Summary: After a family tragedy, Lily left Hogwarts in the middle of the seventh year putting the wizard world behind. She gets a job was a waitress in a God forgotten pub in the middle of nowhere in the small seaside city of Hideshire and hopes that she’ll settle and have a normal life again. However, in an ordinary Saturday night the last person in the world she expects to see again shows up in her workplace. Fluffy and drama.





	The Turning Point

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! It has been ages since I wrote my last Jily fanfic but I have been missing writing about those two sweeties. The idea came after I listened the song Bartender from Lana del Rey’s new album (I highly recommend listen to the song while reading it!). It went to unexpected turn but I liked it. I read HP years ago and probably I messed up some things in the canon facts lol but since it is slightly AU... 
> 
> English is my second language so I'm sorry with possible grammar mistakes. Hope you guys enjoy!

_ March 29 of 1978 _

Lily sighs pulling a chair and sitting down with her hands in hear head. She was tired with the backbreaking work of the day — the pub was almost empty in that Saturday night. She listened her co-workers talking and laughing while they were cleaning the tables and washing the dishes in the kitchen. She heard Julia telling Maria about her date of that day and her expectations about the guy — how cute she thought he has and how much she expected that he will ask her out again.

It would be very weird that a pub anywhere in England would close its door at 9 p.m. on Saturday but not in Hideshire, the smallest seaside city — actually people would complain if the only pub would still be open at 10 p.m. 

It suits Lily just fine because she’d get home early even with her old and Jurassic car or maybe she’d walk a little in the beach below the city in the pale moonlight. After that she’d go home, have a shower, eat something, change the channels lazily on the TV until she choices a silly movie to watch — and then she’d go to bed. End. This is having been her routine in the last month since Lily put her old life behind. She shivered every time she thought about it.

“Oi Evans can you get up your cute arse and help us a little, sweetie?” Julia’s mock voice woke Lily of her sad thoughts. 

She smiled while getting up and started cleaning the tables. Maria approached her with a slightly frown in her perfect forehead. “You’ve been very quiet today, Lils. What’s the matter?” 

Lily bit her lower lip and try to sound the most natural and happy she could. “Nothing, Ma. I’m just tired and sleepy”, she scrubbed the table with a false enthusiasm, “my life is not so excited like yours or Julia”.

“I told you many times to go out with us” Julia appeared bouncing and tossing her golden hair near where Lily and Maria was standing cleaning the last tables, “but you always refuse it. Sometimes I think you have a secret boyfriend but don’t want to tell us”.

Maria laughed loud while Lily blushed a little. Dating was the last thing she was thinking since Hogwarts and that horrible night when she arrived in her family home, though she had someone in mind in that moment… 

If things had been different… if they only had more time… What if…?

“Do you really believe that anyone in this city would be dating in secret?” Lily shook her head, “It is impossible with neighbours like Mrs. Jenkins and Miss Carter! Don’t forget that Mrs. Jenkins is my landlady so she for sure would know if I have a boyfriend”.

Julia glared at Lily rumpling the dirty cloth in her hands. “I’m willing to ask Mrs. Jenkins about it, _ Lily Evans! _ I can’t believe you turned down Henry! Henry _ Hot _ Crawford!”

“Shh be quiet, Jules!” hissed Maria looking at the back of the pub where the others waitress and bartenders were still working “We already talked about that hundred times. Just leave it”.

“Pass me that bottle, can you?” asked Lily to Julia who was still with an angry look, “Thank you, sweetie”.

“But serious, Lils. Henry is an amazing guy and so nice to us… Remember that bad day when your car broke and we almost walked home very late at night in the middle of a storm? If he hadn’t offer us a ride it would be a way worst. Of course, he did it mostly because of you, but…”

Julia stopped with her pouty lips that she was famous for (and most guys couldn’t resist). Lily supressed a smile while glancing at her friend but Maria didn’t hide hers. It was an understanding between Lily and Maria that Julia had a long-time crush on Henry Crawford since their school days but the boy hasn’t paying much attention to Julia – and he has been ignoring her completely since Lily came to live in Hideshire.

Julia was right, of course, Henry Crawford was a nice guy – a bit boring sometimes, but still he was handsome… It’s just Lily couldn’t help comparing him with _ another handsome guy of her acquaintance _ that was a way better than Henry Crawford and more of her type. 

Henry Crawford would be the ideal guy Lily would fall if she still was an eleven years-old girl: gentleman, know what to say every time with a melancholic air and the guy who never gets in trouble. But Lily has passed that ideal a long time and now it wouldn’t matter much to her if her ideal guy be a bit of a troublemaker. 

“Who are you going out today, anyway?” Lily asked trying to change the attention from herself.

“Luke Carter” Julia sat down in a chair with a sigh “I know exactly what you’re going to say again, Ma”.

“I was telling her to be prepare to have Miss Carter as her mother-in-lawn” Maria sat in another chair next to Julia “but that woman is jealous of Luke as if he was her truly son”.

“She is very nice woman when you know her a bit better” Julia frowned to Maria “and she’s not jealous of Luke! But of course, she gets worried with him since she has raised him since he was a baby, so…”

Maria rolled her eyes while Lily just smiling at her friends. It was nice to chat about something so simple like her neighbours’ family’s ties. 

“It was a shame what happened with his parents, poor guy” Maria shook her head “It is not wonder that Miss Carter has a phobia of cars and roads until today. Loose her sister and her brother-in-lawn in such a way…”

Lily’s smile faded after Maria’s comment and a cold shiver possessed her body. Miss Carter doesn't know nor Luke Carter knows the worst way to lose a relative. Lily knew the most cruel and merciless way that a parent could be take from you while you can’t do nothing to prevent it. 

The door of the kitchen closed with a loud bang and some muffled laughs echoed through the empty pub. One of the bartenders was making fun of his mate and another waitress. The group approached where Lily, Maria and Julia were chatting and the tallest brown-haired guy – the main bartender of the pub – put his arms around Maria.

“C’mon darling, are you sure you don’t want to go with me to have a drink? I promise you’ll have a lot of fun”.

“Bugger off, will you Grant?” Maria removed his arms around her shoulders with a glare “I’m not interested since that day you spilled margaritas in my new blouse”.

“It was an accident, darling! I already made apologies”.

Lily rolled her green eyes to the couple.

“Just go out again you two, for God’s sake! I’ll close the pub if this is what are you worried of, Maria”.

Theo Grant smiled widened to Lily and glanced at Maria.

“See? Lily agrees with me and you don’t need to worry about the pub”.

Maria sighed but she didn’t seem exasperated at all – in fact a little smile was playing in the corner of her mouth. “Are you sure, Lils? You don’t want me to do it? It’s my turn tonight”.

“No, just go out and have fun, all right?” Lily smiled while pulling the chairs and putting them above the tables.

“I’ll make you some company while I’m waiting for Luke” Julia sighed “It’s is still early so I hope he gets here in time”.

“Oi Theo are you going or not?” at the door of the pub the other bartender and the waitress girl who was his girlfriend waved for the group “We don’t have the entire night!”

Theo said something back to them and pulled a laughed Maria with him. Before closing the door, the girl looked back to Lily. “Don’t forget to check out every door and window before you go, ok Lily? We don’t want Mr. Saunders angry! And behave yourself, Julia!”

“I would say the same for you and Theo!” Julia frowned but didn’t seem offended at all. 

Finally the group left and the pub fell in a comfortable silence. Lily went to check the back doors and windows while Julia stayed in her place guarding the main entrance. 

These tasks would be so simple if she use magic, Lily always thought with herself but she already got used to do everything manually. While she was thinking that, Julia was staring all the time at the windows waiting to have a glimpse of Luke’s car when it arrived.

However, it wasn’t Luke’s car she saw approaching the parking lot: a very loud motorbike arrived from nowhere (serious_ where the hell _ that thing came?!) and someone who seemed like a tall boy turn off the motorbike. He got down the vehicle and with three long strides he arrived at the front door of the pub. Julia’s mouth went to floor when the boy opened the door.

_ Oh my fucking God! _

He was _ very handsome _ with messy black hair, a leaned and fit figure; he was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a white buttoned shirt and a leather jacket in his broad shoulders. No even the glasses on his face made him looking bad. He carried himself with confidence and objectiveness and Julia had absolutely sure that he could get anything he wanted -- including herself. The boy wasn’t homeless at all -- for the way of his clothes and shoes Julia noticed that he probably was very rich.

All this passed on Julia’s mind in a blink of eye from the moment the boy opened the door and approached her.

“Hello, sorry for intruding and I read the signal of ‘closed’ but I want to see Miss Evans. She works here, right?”

Julia’s mouth still was hanging opened but she blinked and just nodded to him. She had a queer feeling about that boy -- the same feeling she sometimes felt about Lily. For the first time she met Lily Julia knew that there was something special about her but she couldn’t point what is. The same odd feeling she had right now about the boy standing in the front of her. 

“Well… is she here now?” The boy asked with a little smile and a twinkling on his eyes. With horror Julia got aware that the boy probably noticed she ogling him. 

“Hum right, yes, yes she is. I’ll call for her..” Julia was going to the back when she stopped in her tracks and turned to the boy, “Sorry, what’s your name?”

The boy grinned. “Tell that her old friend James Potter is waiting”.

_ ‘Friend? Are you kidding me that Lily knew that hottie and never told me about him? I never heard about a Potter family here so he is not from here, that’s explains a bit but not Lil’s silence! I bet he is her secret boyfriend!’ _

Julia's thoughts are going round and round about the mysterious James Potter while she went to the back door searching for Lily. She found her closing the door of the stockage. She grabbed Lily’s hand with a fuss.

“C’mon Lily there is someone waiting for you outside!”

“Who? What’s going on, Julia?” Lily’s eyebrows knitted while she was being pulled by Julia to the entrance of the pub. 

“Why did you never told me or Maria about the dashing Mr. Potter, huh?”, Julia winked while Lily’s face got pale “He asked for you”.

Lily stopped at her tracks feeling her knees weak. She couldn’t face James; she wasn’t prepared for that. 

“Lily, what’s the matter?”

“I can’t… I can’t meet him”, Lily whispered. 

“What do you mean? Is he your ex-boyfriend? Did he was cruel to you? Oh so sorry Lily!” Julia grasp her friend’s hand trying to consolating her.

Lily smiled a little but there wasn’t any happiness. 

“No, no Jules. He isn’t my ex-boyfriend and he wasn’t cruel to me… It’s too complicated”, she sighed “I can’t explain right now”.

“Is he from you hometown? From school?”

LIly bit her lip thinking what she could say to satisfy Julia’s curiosity. She told a very edited story of her life before she settled in Hideshire but she choose not mention anyone out of her family -- or better, anyone from Hogwarts. 

“He is from my old school, yes… but it is such a long story, Julia…” Lily sighed pulling a lock of her red hair in her shoulder. “How did he find me here?”

“Well why don’t you ask the boy himself?” Julia smiled a little “C’mon he seemed very anxious to see you”.

With a knot in the pit of her stomach Lily just nodded and she followed Julia to the main entrance. Standing near the balcony and with his hands in his pockets, James smiled widely when Lily came to the view. 

Without warning he went straight at a bewildered Lily and hugged her tight pulling her feets from the floor. Julia grinned to the pair and Lily’s eyes widened for the gesture. It took only a few seconds later to Lily hugged him back shyly. She noticed that James wasn’t smiling anymore when he looked at her eyes briefly and murmured:

“I thought I lost you… I thought you were dead, Lils”.

The sound of a car horn broke the moment that Julia didn’t understand entirely. “Oh it’s Luke! I’m going now, Lily”.

“Oh so sorry, miss, I didn’t ask your name” James’s mood changed again when he put his hand to Julia. She held his hand back.

“Julia Blake”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Blake”

“So do I, Mr. Potter. Nice name you have, I bet you’re not from Hideshire, right?”

James grinned and with his other hand which wasn’t around Lily’s waist he messed his hair joking. “No, I’m an outsider just passing by”.

Lily knew that it wasn’t the truth, of course -- the passing by part at least. 

Julia smiled to James and Lily and then she waved to the window where she could see Luke waiting “I’m going, see you guys later!”

She winked to Lily before opened the door and the later knew that she owned a good explanation to her friend. Lily growled inside. How the hell would she invent a good explanation about James? Besides, she suspected that Julia was thinking that James was a kind of secret boyfriend she was talking about earlier. Some things never change like the bad timing that James makes his presence known. 

After Julia’s departure a weird silence felt in the almost empty pub. James grabbed Lily’s hand and leaded her to seat in front of the balcony. He sat in front of her holding her both hands with a wrinkle on his forehead and his eyes cast down. Lily knew what that expression meant -- it meant trouble and that James was trying very hard to not start shouting at her. 

She knew of course that he put an appearance in front of Julia but he didn’t need it anymore and when he looked at her again, Lily could see how much he was hurt and angry with her. The pain in the pit of her stomach grew harder.

“_Sorry James, I can’t explain everything in a note. Parents were killed. Don’t go after me. Forgive me, Lily Evans _”. James’s voice was hard while he recited her goodbye note left in the Head’s common room. Lily remembered how badly written the note was.

“Is that what a wrote?” Lily’s voice was just a whisper “I can’t remember much”.

James shoot her a flamed glance and then he breathed. His jaw was tight. 

“Why did you cast me aside, Lily? Why didn’t you put me behind? Weren’t we friends?”

“I didn’t want to, James, but…” Her eyes were glistened when she looked up to him “I was a mess, confused, afraid… I wasn’t functioning properly after I left Dumbledore’s office that night”.

James lips trembled. He started to make patterns with his thumb on their joined hands trying to comfort her. A sad smile appeared on his face. 

“I’m between happiness and bitterness right now. The last weeks were a huge mess while I was trying to escape Hogwarts to go after you and there was the fucking war... You don’t have an idea how happy to finally to found you”.

Lily gulped noticing all the feelings behind those words and she didn’t know how to apologise. However, her curiosity spoke loud.

“But how James? How did you find me? Not one at Hogwarts knew where I am now”.

“You’re right, of course” James grinned a little “But you forgot your charming sister”.

Lily gasped. “You don’t mean Tuney!”

James laughed when remembered his visit to Tuney. “Well unless you have another older sister, yeah. I paid her and her charming fiance a visit yesterday. It was unforgettable evening”.

Lily’s face was pure horror. “Good Lord, James! Now she will hate more if this is possible!”

“Nah I was a very gentleman with her, ok? Well... at least in the beginning…” James stopped and laughed again “You needed see her face when I said I was from Hogwarts!”

Lily gasped again but she could imagine Tuney’s dread expression because of James exhibition. She couldn’t help not laughing a little.

“Oh James, I told you many times how much my sister hates everything related to magic”.

James smirked. “I didn't forget that, Lils. But with her I took it easier, but with that stupid fiance of hers… Not so much”.

Before Lily started lecturing him, James continue quickly.

“He started to call you names and he said a lot of shit. It drove me mad in the moment and err...humpfh I got very angry, you know? And maybe I let something happened…”

“Like? James, what the hell did you do with Dursley?” Lily was afraid to know the answer. It was getting worse and worse.

James got agitated a little on his place but he didn’t seem regretful at all. “Ah well… I thought that he seemed like a pig and then without wanted I cursed his voice to squeal like one”.

Lily’s left hand went to her mouth in shock but at the same she started laughing loud when the image of her brother-in-law came to her mind. James followed a bit relieved that she didn’t seem to want to slap him as he supposed.

“I laughed so hard that I almost choked” James grinned “But unfortunately, I needed to reverse the curse and get Mr. Dursley back to his old self. Too bad…”

“Dear God, James!” Lily was wiping tears of laughter “I don’t know if I yell at you or praise you. Though I bet Tuney almost fainted after your show… If I had any chance to make peace with her now it went downhill…”

Lily frowned and James stopped grinning. He caressed her hand and sighed.

“It wasn’t my intention piss off your sister. I just wanted to know where you have been all this time”. He stopped like he was choosing his words very carefully “Not a single letter, a message just saying ‘Hey, I’m fine’. Nothing, Lily, for fucking months”.

Lily’s bottom lip trembled and she tightened her grasp on James’ hand. How would she explain? He was right, it wasn’t fair with him -- she took him for granted and pushed him behind without a single word. 

She breathed trying to find the right words, or better the sincere words to say to him. It wasn’t like she had never imagined that she’d meet James again in some point, but she hasn’t been prepared for that.

“After Dumbledore told me that my parents were killed by those Death Eaters, I was completely lost. I got home to find only their coffins ready for the funeral and some people of my family and neighbours. There was a disguised wizard also -- I guess someone from the Ministry sent him to keep an eye in the situation. You know that my family and the others muggles were told that they were killed after three robbers invaded my home to steal and when they didn’t find nothing, they killed them” Lily breathed again with her eyes glistening for the memories.

“Of course everyone from Hogwarts knew the truth the next day when the news came to the _ Daily Prophet _. I guess the Ministry had a lot of trouble trying to smother the story…”

“The_ Daily Prophet _ didn’t mention names” James said with a strange voice “But I knew of course that you were involved after your disappearance”.

Lily’s eyes focused on the window while the memories rushed in her mind. When James started talking again she diverted her attention to the present.

“I’m really sorry for your parents… but… “ James frowned again. “I’m still cross, Evans. This is not a way to treat a friend, I’m sorry but it is not!”

His voice was harsh as his features. He was avoiding her gaze and a heavy silence fell down. A flash of angriness appeared on Lily’s face piercing her gaze at James. She pulled her hand from his grasp.

“How can you be so selfish, Potter?! My parents were dead, Merlin! You don’t have an idea what a mess my life was during those freaking weeks! Tuney turned her back to me, I didn’t want to come back to Hogwarts, I had nowhere to go…!”

“You could have come to me, you goose!” James shouted “I’d have helped you with a blink of an eye! But you didn’t because you think you’re so self sufficient that you don’t need anyone!”

Lily opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Her face was red with and rage and anguish.

“You came here just to shout at me?” Her lips tightened and she got up from the chair “I don’t need your lecturing, James. Go home”.

James’ eyes narrowed at her. “Ha! I’m not going anywhere. You won’t run away from this, Evans”.

“I’m not run away, you stupid prat!”

James stood up and came near to Lily. Even pissed off with him she couldn’t help the girlish butterflies in her stomach for his proximity. James crossed his arms on his chest in a challenge position. He scowled. 

“So if you’re not running away, what the fuck you’re doing in this no man’s-land place during the term? Studying for the N.E.W.T’s?”

Lily paused. Well… This would be a difficult thing to explain to him. 

“I… I gave up, James”.

He blinked and his features became puzzled.

“What? Gave up what?”

She answered like she was telling a terrible secret. “Wizarding. I gave up”.

James scanned her face three times and Lily could see the gears of his head working. Finally, after almost two minutes the understanding hit him like a punch in his face. He came nearer and put his hands on her shoulders as if she was a sick child; his eyes were huge behind the glasses.

“You… you’re not saying that… Did you banished yourself?”

Lily just nodded in agreement. James blinked trying to focus and she felt his hands tightened its grip on her shoulders. He was looking at her as if she has grown two heads.

“Tabatha Collins, a muggleborn girl from Ravenclaw, do you remember her? When was the last time you saw her, James?”

James shook his hands still with an expression as if someone died. Lily sighed.

“She gave up Hogwarts and the wizarding stuff and went to live in a distant farm in Canterbury with her family. I met her when I was there last summer and she told me everything. She was going mad with all the persecution at Hogwarts, like literally mad, James. So she had enough and she said to me she was trying to have a normal life again… _ Muggle life _”.

James was still silent trying to digest everything. That explained why he didn’t met a lot of students when the last term began. David Knight, Amanda Lawrence, Katherine Willowmere… All muggleborns who didn’t come back to Hogwarts. James felt very stupid for not link their “disappearance” sooner. When he asked to a colleague why David Knight (a fellow Gryffindor) hadn’t came back, the boy just shrugged. 

He had a lot of things to say but he was so confused that he said the first thing that came to his mind. “What about our courage? What about our Gryffindor courage?”

Lily’s eyes cast down. It was clear that she had thought about it many times.

“It was very hard to me to admit that I’m not strong enough or courage enough to deal with You-Know-Who and his followers, James. I’m sorry to disappoint you. I know you’re thinking I’m a coward…”

James grabbed her face gently and caressed her skin with an unknown shine in his eyes. The butterflies twisted in her stomach and she felt her heart beating stronger. For one second Lily thought that he’d kiss her but he kept caressing her face in silence. Several minutes after he finally spoke.

“I don’t think you’re coward, Lily… I’m just trying to understand”. He paused and looked straight at her like she was a piece of a puzzle that he didn’t know how to solve it. 

James frowned. “Maybe… maybe you’re underestimate yourself. Maybe you started lying to yourself saying that you’re not strong enough”.

His hands which were in her face went to her arms and gently he pulled her to the chair she occupied earlier. Lily sat blinking and thinking hard about his words. Lying? He believed she was _ lying _ to herself? Was that possible? 

She started to get angry again with his presumptions -- she knew herself, thank you very much! It seemed that her expressions darkened because James sighed and grabbed her hand firmly to make her look at him again.

“Before you start to yell at me again, let me explain, all right? I’m not new on this because of Sirius”.

“Black? What are you talking about, James?”

“You know that Sirius had a lot of bullshit with his family, right? Last year was huge to him, a lot of mess. You know him, he loved to annoy his family and he said how much he didn’t care about Regulus anymore… but I knew him better”.

Lily still couldn’t understand what was James point but she knew a little of Sirius Black background since the boy had an annoying habit to use the Head’s common room like it was his house (as like the others Marauders). She heard bits and pieces of his conversations with James about the Black family there and sometimes he made comments near her that made clear how much he despised his family. 

James shook his hands seemed a little frustrated with something that Lily couldn’t understand fully. 

“He kept telling me that Regulus could go to hell that he wouldn’t miss him a bit and lot of bullshit like that but I could see that he was worried and even suffering with his brother choices. I told him many times to go to his stupid brother and give him a piece of his mind”.

“And he went? He met Regulus?”

James eyes darkened. “Yeah, it was no picnic though. At least Padfoot admitted that he was truly worried with Regulus and stopped cover it with sweet lies. It took me months to convince him…”

Lily gulped as James clenched his teeths. “When Sirius came back he punched me first and then told me that his stupid brother was already in the path to become a Death Eater. We shout a little with each other but in the end we had a few bottles of Firewhisky and we made amends. I won’t forget what Sirius said to me before we went to sleep, though he was tipsy. He thanked me to make him listen to his conscious and do what his duty even with his family hatred. Maybe it could be a turning point in the future, you never know”.

James glanced at Lily with pleading eyes. He clasped their joined hands. Lily was thinking hard about what he said. Something inside her dropped with a bang and suddenly her mind rushed with thoughts she has been keeping looked for a long time. She saw herself and her life; all accomplishments, mistakes and mainly her duties -- as a Head Girl, daughter, sister, friend… She had questioned that after her parents death but before it she never had a problems with duties. 

Is that what she was doing? Running away from her duties and keeping telling herself it was for the best?

Again James pulled her back to reality. “You can say whatever you want, Evans. I don’t know the fully story of the other muggleborns who left Hogwarts, but I know yours, I _ know _ you. I know you’re stronger than you really believe but turn your back is not you… It’s not the Lily I met seven years before… It’s not the Lily I lo-...

He stopped struggling with words and blushing. Lily’s eyes were huge while looking at him. Did she listened right? Did he was going to say that he lov…

James straightened his back and Lily gasped when he pulled her very close to him. “It’s not the Lily _ I love _. That’s it, I don’t care if you don’t want to hear it”.

They didn’t know who kissed who first but their lips met or better clashed with all the heavy time of frustrations and feelings for each other. In the beginning Lily thought to slap him but the idea was pushed back when she started kissing him back. How much she has missed him even his annoyance. However, she missed his voice, his temper, his humour, the way he sometimes teased her and challenged her. Everything.

Lily understood why she turned down Henry Crawford and many others guys. She clenched her body to him and she was almost in his lap in the tiny chair; James made a strange noise while his hands caressed her hair and her back as if he was afraid to wake up and found out that Lily had gone. 

They pulled apart after some minutes breathing hard. A silly grin appeared on James face.

“I guess I made my point clear now? Will you come back with me?”

Lily started laughing loud while hugging him.

“I still don’t have an idea how on Earth you escaped Hogwarts!” She looked at him with loving eyes. “You’re such a goose but I think you’re right this time. However, don’t be a peacock”.

James throw his head in laugh. “You’re infatuated with me, I knew it! Do you really think that you would get rid of me easily? Nice try. Now you can truly call me selfish”.

“I haven’t been laughing much since… I don’t remember”, she sighed “I needed that time off. I’ve been boring here already even with nice friends and I miss Hogwarts so much. I was probably aware of everything you said but I didn’t want to admit it”. 

She paused and her eyes became sad. “I cried so much that I think I don’t have tears anymore. Then I started thinking if my decision was too radical and in a hasty… Maybe my parents wouldn’t like what I did because of them". 

It was such a relief for Lily to finally voice it. She wasn’t afraid anymore to admit to herself how much scared and weak she was after her parents death. Instead of deal with it she decided to hide it and run away.

Lily gazed at him not hiding her affection and teased him. “I just needed a good shake from the Head Boy”.

Of course he puff up his chest just like a peacock. She joked with a hint of sarcasm. 

“You would make a nice psychologist”. 

“A psyco what?” James frowned while he was playing with her hair.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Don’t you study muggle occupations in Muggle Studies?”

“No, we’re still studying Muggle Cinema”. James grinned and raised his eyebrows. “Which reminds me that I have an essay to write about a movie called _ Citizen Kane _ but I don’t know how I will do it…”

A smile appeared in the corner of Lily’s lips while she was pretending to be very busy when she stood up to check the balcony. “The cinema here is so old school that it only shows old classics like _ Citizen Kane _. I bet it has on the go…”

When Lily moved up to Hideshire she had never imagined that the old cinema would be useful. For the first time she was thankful for it.

James had a huge smile on his face when he came near her and hugged her waist. “So what are you suggesting? Are you asking me out, Evans? I know this is a type of a date for muggles”.

Lily tried to sound exasperated but didn’t hide the humour on her voice. “You don’t know what is a psychologist but you’re proficient on muggle dates programs. Shame on you, Potter”. 

“Actually it’s your fault, Evans. I was so desperate in fifth year to have a date with you that I started looking for alternatives to woo you”.

He blushed a little. Lily blinked and hugged his waist with affection. She remembered her conversation earlier with Julia and Maria about her supposed secret boyfriend and smiled. 

“Besides, I have Sirius’s motorbike with me and if we go I will tell you after how I escaped Hogwarts with it”, James smirked “A very muggle date indeed but I don’t planning watch the movie much”.

Lily looked up at him grinning for his suggestiveness. 

“It’s all right, then. You won. It’s a date and if Mrs. Jenkins sees us and asks who are you, you can say you’re my secret boyfriend”.


End file.
